LOCATION FACTORY UT+AZEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, carbonatic, mesic Calcic Petrocalcids
TYPICAL PEDON: Factory fine sandy loam, rangeland. (Colors are for air-dry soil unless otherwise noted.)
A--0 to 4 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; weak medium platy structure; soft, very friable; common very fine, fine and medium roots; many very fine, fine and medium interstitial pores; slightly calcareous; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (2 to 4 inches thick)
Bw--4 to 15 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, very friable; common very fine, fine, medium and few coarse roots; many fine and medium tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear wavy boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
Bk1--15 to 22 inches; light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) fine sandy loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; common very fine, fine, and few medium roots; common coarse and medium tubular pores; 10 percent gravel; strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated and coat the underside of gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); clear smooth boundary. (0 to 9 inches thick)
Bk2--22 to 25 inches; pink (7.5YR 7/4) gravelly fine sandy loam, strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) moist; massive; soft, very friable; few very fine and fine roots; few fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel, 30 percent calcium carbonate cemented nodules; very strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.4); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 15 inches thick)
Bk3--25 to 34 inches; pink (5YR 7/3) gravelly fine sandy loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) moist; massive; hard, very friable, slightly sticky; few fine, very fine, and medium roots; few fine tubular pores; 35 percent calcium carbonate cemented nodules; very strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
Bkm--34 to 56 inches; pinkish white (5YR 8/2) indurated calcium carbonate cemented hardpan; roots are matted on the top of hardpan; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); clear irregular boundary. (6 to 36 inches thick)
Ck--56 to 63 inches; pinkish white (5YR 8/2) fine sandy loam, pink (5YR 7/4) moist; massive; very hard, friable, slightly sticky; 15 percent gravel; strongly calcareous; carbonates are disseminated; strongly alkaline (pH 9.0).
TYPE LOCATION: Grand County, Utah; 1 1/2 miles south of Dubinky Well; approximately 2,400 feet east and 1,500 feet north of the SW corner of sec. 36, T. 24 S., R. 18 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature: 48 to 56 degrees F.
Soil moisture: Ustic aridic moisture regime
Depth to hardpan: 20 to 40 inches
Silicate clay content: 7 to 18 percent
Rock fragment content: 15 to 35 percent (consists chiefly of gravel size fragments of calcium carbonate cemented nodules with some sandstone and chert)
Calcium carbonate equivalent: 40 to 50 percent
A and Bw horizons
Rock fragment content: 0 to 15 percent
A horizon
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 4 or 5
Chroma: 4 through 6
Calcium carbonate: slightly calcareous to strongly calcareous
Reaction: slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
B horizon
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 4 through 6
Texture: fine sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, or gravelly loam
Calcium carbonate: moderately calcareous or strongly calcareous
Reaction: slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
C horizon
Hue: 2.5YR through 7.5YR
Value: 5 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma: 3 through 6
Texture: very gravelly sandy loam, gravelly fine sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, or gravelly loam
Reaction: moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline
Calcium carbonate: strongly calcareous or very strongly calcareous.
In some thin sub horizons, rock fragment content ranges up to 60 percent pebble sized calcium carbonate cemented fragments.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Bit series. Bit soils do not have cambic horizons, hue of 10YR, and have an aridic moisture regime that borders on xeric.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Factory soils are on pediments and benches at elevations of 4,700 to 5,500 feet. They are usually near the edge of escarpments on old pediment surfaces. The soils formed in mixed alluvium with some eolian deposition weathered primarily from sandstone. Mean annual temperature is 45 to 54 degrees F, and the average annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches. The freeze-free period is 120 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pastura, Begay, Mivida, and Mespun soils. The Pastura soils are less than 20 inches deep to the petrocalcic horizon. The Begay, Mivida and Mespun soils are very deep.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderately rapid permeability above the petrocalcic horizon.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for rangeland. Potential vegetation is blackbrush, Indian ricegrass, Mormon-tea, sandhill muhly, and galleta.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Utah; MLRA 34& 35. The series is of small extent, about 3,000 acres mapped in Grand, Emery, and Garfield Counties.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Grand County-Central Part, Utah 1985.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to 4 inches (A horizon).
Cambic horizon - the zone from 4 to 15 inches. (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon - the zone of carbonate accumulation from 15 to 34 inches (Bk1, Bk2, Bk3 horizons).
Petrocalcic horizon - the zone of cementation from 34 to 56 inches. (Bkm horizon)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 34 inches.
Classified according to Soil Taxonomy Second Edition, 1999.
Classification changed from Ustollic Paleorthids to Calcic Petrocalcids in 12/94.
Further study of these landscapes may determine the need for intergrades to indurated hardpans similar to those soils that classify as duripans.